Switzerland

Cerebral Malaria Treatment Discovered?

Recent studies could have came to discover a cure to Cerebral Malaria according to the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. The school explained, “They discovered a novel link between food intake during the early stages of infection and the outcome of the disease, identifying two molecular pathways that could serve as new targets for treatment.”

Cerebral Malaria is considered one of the deadliest forms of Malaria which causes seizures, strokes, and death. This form of Malaria affects children generally and attacks their non-fully developed immune systems. The vaccine with use of “leptin—a hormone secreted from fat tissue with roles in suppressing appetite, but also in activating adaptive immune and inflammatory responses—is increased upon infection in a mouse model of cerebral malaria, and turns out to be a major bad actor in promoting neurological symptoms and death.” The researchers explained that using forms of leptin with a decrease in food intake can slow and potentially rid the Cerebral Malaria virus.

The biggest upside for this potential treatment is that is could be tested on humans since rapamycin is approved by the FDA currently according to article, “The researchers also found that leptin acted primarily on cytotoxic T cells by turning on the well-studied mTOR protein, for which pharmacologic inhibitors are readily available. In their animal model, treating mice with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin protected them against the neurological complications of cerebral malaria. Protection was due in part to a preservation of the blood brain barrier, which prevented the entry of blood cells carrying the parasites into the brain. As rapamycin is already FDA-approved for use in humans, trials in humans for cerebral malaria treatment with this drug may be possible, according to the researchers.”

While this treatment is not expected to be seen on the market any time in the near future, researchers and doctors alike are hoping this could be the break through that begins to fight the Cerebral Malaria virus.